The Dark Lord's ward
by Whiteghost37
Summary: What happens when peace is discussed and Harry has mysteriously turned into a five year old? Read and find out. Warnings inside


_**Title: The Dark Lord's ward**_

_**Summary: What happens when peace is discussed and Harry has mysteriously turned into a five year old?**_

_**Warnings: Contains mentions of slash(maleXmale relationships) and a swear word or two.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places, I wish I did.**_

* * *

"Good afternoon Tom," Dumbledore said calmly to The Dark Lord whom stood in the middle of the Great Hall with his followers close behind.

"Good afternoon Headmaster, I trust you received my letter," said Dark Lord answered.

"Of course, otherwise you would not be able to get in here," Dumbledore replied.

"Ah, I see. Shall we begin then?"

"Lets, we'll negotiate in my office. Follow me please."

Voldemort and his Death Eaters followed the Headmaster of Hogwarts and said Headmaster's chosen ones from the Order who'd be a part of this.

Now, why would the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters be inside of Hogwarts you may ask. The answer's simple, they were all to negotiate about peace really, about how the Dark and the Light could get along and what to offer each other. And to ensure safety to everyone, the Dark side had been put under a spell that made them unable to throw any harmful spells on anyone, and made spells unable to reach any of them.

The Dark were the ones to start. They were willing to stop their killing, torturing and practising of the really Dark Arts. But to do all this, the Light were to ensure that they would be cleared from their crimes in the past and no one would be send to Azkaban, and they would all be equals.

"... and to prove to everyone that everything is over, we are to ask for Harry Potter to be bonded with one of the children from our side," Voldemort read from a parchment.

"Are you mad? He's only fifteen," Sirius said angrily.

"We are aware of that, but until he's of age to marry, they'll be betrothed," Voldemort answered calmly.

"Who should he bond with then?" Dumbledore asked.

"That I do not know. Does he prefer males or females?"

"Oh, he's gay," Charlie Weasley grinned.

"Where is he anyway?" Lucius Malfoy asked.

The people in the room looked around, a bit surprised.

"He didn't arrive with the other students last night," Minerva McGonagall's voice suddenly spoke.

"He didn't?" Dumbledore sounded surprised.

"I sent him a portkey last night, in case he had been unable to get to the platform, but it seems he didn't get it," McGonagall continued, she looked anxious.

"Well, we better check up on him then. Severus, would you mind?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course not Headmaster," The Potions Master lied.

He took the portkey that hung around his neck and with a 'poof' he was gone.

"Now we wait," Lucius stated.

* * *

A while later a similar 'poof' was heard and Severus Snape appeared in the room once again, this time he was holding something, or someone.

"Severus, what is that?" Tom, aka Voldemort, asked.

"This is Harry Potter. It seems he has de-aged himself," Snape answered.

Gasps were heard around the room and several people looked shocked.

Emerald eyes looked up from the Potions Master's arms and looked around the room, the boy was afraid. His eyes fell on Dumbledore and widened.

"Are... are you Santa Claus?" He asked in a small voice.

Snicker was heard around the room.

"Err... No my boy, I'm Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he answered.

"Am I dreaming?"

"No, I can ensure you this is all real."

"It can't be."

"And why is that?" Snape asked.

"Because, magic isn't real. Aunt Petunia said so," Harry answered.

Before anyone could answer, the boy wriggled himself out of Snape's grip and started walk around the office, looking around. He stopped in front of Tom and looked up at the man, who met the boy's curious eyes. For anyone who knew the Lord's looks in the past could really congratulate the man now. His looks were actually human now, instead of snakelike. He had hair as well, and he really reminded about an older version of the Tom Riddle who had attended Hogwarts in the past. The only thing that connected his looks with those of Voldemort's was the eyes. The eyes weren't snakelike slits anymore but they still had a red glimmer in them, which made his now blue eyes look like someone had poured red glitter into his eyes and it had got stuck in there.

"You look familiar," the boy said and tilted his head.

"I do?" Tom asked surprised and a bit shocked, since the boy couldn't seem to remember anything from his earlier life then how could Tom look familiar to him?

"Yeah... I've dreamt about you, I think... Something about a green light and someone screaming? But you looked absolutely awful then... What's you name?

"I... I'm Tom Riddle," Tom answered, his eyes wide and he felt a pang of guilt when he looked at the little boy.

"Oh? Well, I'm Harry," The boy said and smiled at the man.

"I know."

"How?"

"You're quite famous in our world," Lucius Malfoy answered in Tom's place.

"Huh? What for?"

"For surviving something no one else have done," The blonde said.

* * *

A while later they were all seated in the Great Hall. It was clear to all the students that from now on Voldemort and his followers were no more; instead they all had greeted Tom and his trusted ones.

Harry had been to the Hospital Wing where it had been confirmed that he had been de-aged by accidental magic and he was now five years old. All his memories of being the famous Harry Potter, aka The-Boy-Who-Lived were completely gone and he seemed frightened. They had discovered bruises and welts on the boy's body and he had told them that he had been a bad boy and his uncle had had no choice but to punish him. To say the news was upsetting was an understatement. Several people had wanted to go and beat up said "uncle" for tricking a small boy to believe that he had earned all the damages on his body.

Now, the only question that remained was to whom the boy would go to until the antidote was done. Sirius and Remus was of course an obvious choice since Sirius was his godfather and Remus was Sirius's husband and Harry's honourable godfather. But since Harry didn't recognize those two it wasn't nice to make him go with them and he seemed afraid of them, especially since Sirius had tried to grab him and cuddle him when the bruises were the discovered without any warning. The whole Order was there plus several people from the Ministry and, of course, Tom and his trusted ones. Apparently the boy would choose his guardian himself and almost every adult in the room tried to make the boy come with them.

Harry looked around, all this had happened all too fast for him. Firstly he had been taken away from the Dursleys to a magical world that he hadn't even known was real until the adults had convinced him it was. Secondly his wounds had been healed and he had even got to eat. And he had been told he wasn't going back to the Dursleys. Now, he had been told to choose a new guardian, and all this had happened in less than a day. It was nearly midnight now, but everyone was up and it seemed Harry was the only one that was tired. He slowly walked up to Tom who sat at the far end of the Slytherin table and was one of the few who were quiet. Tom looked down at him, surprised.

"Do you want to be my guardian?" The boy asked shyly.

"Me? Really? You want that?"

"Yes, if you don't mind that is. You are the only one I recognize somewhat, and you don't shout as they do," the boy answered and looked both anxious and afraid at the same time.

"I... Well, it's not that I mind or anything... But are you sure?"

Harry nodded and climbed up into Tom's lap. Everybody in the hall quietened down and all eyes turned to the former Dark Lord and the little boy who leaned against said Lord's chest with his eyes closed. Tom held the boy securely in place and his eyes were only for the boy who clearly had decided that Tom was a good-hearted man. Tom's eyes then slowly lifted and met the eyes of the partly shocked audience. Lucius and Severus were one of the few who didn't seem surprised and they had the nerve to grin at the sight. Tom glared at the two and they just grinned wider.

"Well, congratulations my lord. It seems that you have gotten yourself a ward," Lucius smirked.

"Oh, shut it Malfoy," Tom tried to sound angry but it didn't fool his friends, yes friends, cause that was how Tom viewed his former Death Eaters and how they now viewed him.

Lucius didn't answer, he just winked tease fully and smiled. Tom sighed and stood.

"Well, it seems young Harry has made his choice. Tom, I trust you to be fine with this?"Dumbledore said, though it didn't really sound like a question.

"I don't mind Headmaster. Is it alright for me to keep him at my Manor?" Tom asked.

"Well of course. As long as you both are comfortable and you don't mind if his friends come to visit," Dumbledore said.

"Very well," Tom said and with a 'poof' they were gone.

* * *

A few weeks had passed and Harry felt really comfortable at the Riddle Manor. The wizarding world was fine with the peace and with the Dark side's demands. The one question that remained was to whom Harry would be bonded when he got back to his original age. The five-year old Harry had grown pretty close to Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy so the bets were on one of those two.

Harry seemed to like everyone who came to visit, but the ones he liked the most he had given nicknames. Severus, Lucius, Sirius, Remus and the Lestrange brothers were his "uncles", as well as Bellatrix, Narcissa, Minerva, Poppy and Tonks were his "aunts". Hermione was "Mione", Ron, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Fred and George were themselves since Harry couldn't come up with any good and appropriate nicknames for them, but he loved them all the same. Dumbledore he called grandfather in his mind but didn't want to be disrespectful and called him "Sir" or "Professor", and Tom was simply Tom.

The antidote that would turn Harry back had surprisingly not worked and they tried to come up with something else, but the only thing they had found was a potion that would take one and a half month to brew and the ingredients were rare and hard to come by. But they would do their best to do it.

Harry sat in the couch watching Draco and Ron play chess, it was rather dull actually to just watch. Everyone in the room were either playing a game or they were reading. Everyone in the room was children, except Fred and George who were by law of age now. The other adults were with Tom in Diagon Alley and tried to find the remaining ingredients for the antidote.

After a while Harry got completely bored and quietly sneaked outside. He walked over to the shed where all the broomsticks were. Harry loved to fly, he loved the feeling of freedom. But Tom didn't let him fly on the big broomsticks and had purchased one that was especially made for little kids and didn't fly as high as the others.

But now that everyone was busy, Harry took one of the big broomsticks. It wouldn't hurt to try right? He was a good flyer and five minutes in the air couldn't hurt. So he decided to try. How hard could it be?

In the beginning all was well and Harry pushed the broom upwards until the Manor seemed pretty small. Well up there the broom started to shake, and shake badly. Harry realised this was what they called turbulence. And try as he might he just couldn't get the broom downwards. Suddenly, his grip slipped and right in that moment a violent shake went through the broom. And Harry fell...

* * *

"I know you are awake Harry."

Uh oh, Tom was angry. That was never a good sign.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly with his eyes closed.

"Harry, look at me."

"Are you going to throw me out now?" His eyes were still closed.

"Harry, look at me!"

The angry tone in Tom's voice made Harry open his eyes and turn to look at his guardian

"Harry, what were you thinking? I have told thousands of times to not use the big brooms. What made you disobey me?" Tom sounded angry and a bit hurt.

"I'm sorry... I didn't think... I am truly sorry," Harry whispered and tears started to form in his eyes.

Tom sighed:

"Harry, you are my child. No matter how disobedience you are I will never throw you out, or beat you. I truly love you. But you must understand that when I tell you not to do something there's always a good reason for it."

"I know... but I didn't think it was such a big deal. Everyone else could do it so I thought I'd be able to, I'm a good flyer. You've said so yourself."

"You silly little one... Well, I hope you realise that after pulling a stunt like that I have no choice but to punish you?"

"I know," the child said while the tears started to spill over. Punishment rarely meant something painless, at least not to uncle Vernon. But... Tom had said he wouldn't beat him, didn't he?

"I'm not going to beat you. But you are to apologize to everyone you worried, and you are grounded for a month," Tom said in a stern voice.

Harry was surprised, just that? It hardly seemed like a punishment at all... But if that was what Tom had decided fit then Harry had no reason to complain.

"I understand, I am sorry Tom. I won't disobey your orders again."

"I should hope so," Tom said and took the boy in is arms.

Harry smiled.

* * *

"All you have to do is to mix this with water and make him drink it before he goes to bed. It takes twenty four hours before he is fully restored back to normal," Severus explained and showed Tom a little phial in his hand.

The phial contained a clear liquid with a dash of pink. It was the antidote to make Harry grow back to his normal age.

"Are you sure this will work then?" Tom asked.

"I am quite certain yes," Severus answered.

"I see. Well, let's hope he'll be alright and that he chooses his betrothed quickly afterwards," Tom said.

"Of course."

* * *

It went surprisingly well. Although it had hurt a lot when Harry's skeleton grew back to it's normal size, he had twisted in pain and agony for ten minutes, to Harry it had seemed like hours.

He remembered everything from when he had been de-aged and didn't mind that his parent's murderer had been his guardian. He liked the new Tom and the prophecy that was the cause to everything had proved false. It turned out that professor Trelawney had been high at the time. She had had a period that was filled with drugs which she called a time she had been in a bad place. Of course the news had been upsetting, but it wasn't her fault that people actually had believed her.

Harry had asked if Tom wanted to continue to be his guardian and Tom had been happy to agree. Not to be mean to Sirius and Remus, but a new married couple had so much better things to do than take care of a hormonal fifteen year old. And they both thought that Harry and Tom was a good combination, if anything Tom wouldn't cave as easily to Harry's stubbornness as Sirius and Remus would.

To celebrate the peace that had befallen the world Dumbledore had decided to have a party, to which all the students' families were invited.

Harry knew that several people had placed bets on whom Harry would marry, so it was up to Harry to decide, preferably at the party so that there were as many witnesses as possible. The thing was, Harry didn't know if the one he chose actually was willing to marry him, or if it just was that the person he chose would marry him because he'd be forced to. Of course it would be a he that Harry chose, he was gay after all. But the guy he chose maybe wasn't... Why should he decide anyway? It was so damn hard. But he knew it was expected of him. When he did decide, the peace would be ensured to everybody, since there still were people with doubts.

He sat at the Gryffindor table, Tom at his right and Sirius at his left. Remus was now, once again, the Defence against the Dark Arts teacher and sat at the Head table so it was at least half because of Remus that Sirius had showed up.

He knew he should do it, any minute now. He should just get it over with, so it was done before the dessert showed up. But he didn't want to get down on one knee in font of everybody in the Great Hall, but he would be less nervous with people around. So he decided to just go for it, Gryffindor style.

He stood up from the table and turned his eyes towards the Slytherin table and his chosen one.

"Hey Draco?!"

The boy turned curious eyes to Harry.

"Yes?"

"Can you do me a favour?"

"Sure, anything. What?"

"Marry me!"

The Hall grew eerily quiet and all eyes were directed at the two.

"Are you sure?"

"If I wasn't I wouldn't ask."

Draco blinked. Then his eyes widened:

"You are serious!"

"Well duh"

In an instant Draco stood before Harry, a smile playing on his lips.

"I'd be honoured."

The Hall erupted in cheers when the two boys kissed and Harry could hear money exchanging hands.

He smiled. He had his happy ending now. And he had gotten the one he had been madly in love with since he first saw him at Madame Malkin's. Life was good.

_**The End**_

* * *

A/N: I wish to thank you who have read and stuck to the end. I hope you enjoyed it. I also want to thank those who read my latest fanfiction "A better childhood?" and those who rewieved. I really appreciate it! Thanks =)


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